Friday, May 31, 2013

If you have ever called my office, you probably talked to the charming and professional Jed Millard, and you know what a terriffic asset he has been to my team. I'm thrilled for him (and sad for myself) that he's moving on to the Office of Management and Budget for much-deserved new opportunities beginning next week. I'm going to miss his smiling face every day, but I'm glad he'll have the chance to apply his smarts to new challenges.

The Montgomery County Planning Board has selected a new planning director,
placing a professional who has held top planning jobs in the City of Alexandria,
Virginia, and our own Montgomery County Planning Department at the helm of the
county’s 150-member planning department. I look forward to working with Gwen Wright once again beginning July 1.

The Planning Board has been vetting planning director
candidates for several months since the departure of its previous director,
Rollin Stanley, in May 2012. The search process resulted in a number of
qualified candidates who were considered before the Board made its final
selection.

Ms. Wright was with the Montgomery County Planning Department
from 1987 to 2008, most recently as Acting Director of the Department and prior
to that as Chief of Countywide Planning. Currently, she is Chief of the
Development Division at the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s Department of
Planning and Zoning. She has a degree in Architecture and Architectural History
from Yale University. Ms. Wright has been a speaker at the national conferences
of the American Planning Association and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation, a university instructor in planning and zoning and preservation,
and a board member of the Maryland Association of Historic District
Commissions.

As planning director, Ms. Wright will oversee a department
responsible for making recommendations to the board on master plans, development
applications, forest conservation, historic preservation, and a host of other
land-use issues.

Thanks go to Rose Krasnow for her
exceptional efforts as Acting Planning Director since Mr. Stanley’s departure. We are extremely grateful for her management expertise, her unfailing
professionalism and her willingness to serve in this demanding position.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Montgomery County will bring together residents, software developers and entrepreneurs for a hackathon event on June 1-2 at the Universities of Shady Grove, Building III at 9630 Gudelsky Drive in Rockville. The County’s Hack for Change Hackathon will be part of the first annual National Day of Civic Hacking that is designed to leverage the power of public data with the expertise of residents and entrepreneurs in finding technology solutions for the common good. Other agencies hosting civic hacking events on that date include the White House, NASA, the Census Bureau, HHS, FEMA, the National Archives and departments of Labor and Energy.

The Montgomery County event, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on June 1, will offer County residents a unique opportunity to get involved and improve community life by developing new applications for smart phones and other devices. Government challenges, potential solutions and desired outcomes will be pitched by County staff to spur ideas for technology solutions, and participants will have an opportunity to pitch their own ideas for new apps that could benefit the public. Participants will select the idea they find most compelling and will form a development team to work on it. Some ideas may have multiple teams and others may have none.

Software development skills are not a requirement for participation. With the exception of County employees who are prohibited from serving on a development team, participants only need to be willing to collaborate with others to create, build and invent solutions using public data to address challenges relevant to the community. That includes students, educators, community members, engineers, technologists, civil servants, scientists, designers and artists.

Each team will develop a solution for the idea they select, and County staff will be available throughout the event to answer questions and provide guidance. At the end of the event, teams will be judged on what they have created.

Meals will be provided, and the event will conclude at 6:30 p.m. on June 2 following team presentations and judging.

June is traditionally the start of hurricane and summer
storm season. Take precautions to stay safe, including heeding storm warnings
issued by the National Weather Service and taking shelter when appropriate.

A hurricane watch is issued if there is a threat of
hurricane conditions within 24-36 hours. A warning is issued when hurricane
conditions are expected in a specified area in 24 hours or less. Hurricane
conditions include winds of 74 miles per hour (64 knots) or greater, and/or
dangerously high tides and waves. Actions to protect life and property should
begin immediately when the warning is issued.

Sign up for Alert Montgomery to receive up-to-date information on hurricane watches and
warnings and other storms. Alerts can be sent to one or more electronic
devices, including cell phones, text pagers and wireless PDAs, along with home
and work emails.

Storm Preparedness Tips

• Keep flashlights, battery-powered radios and extra
batteries on hand, along with a basic first aid kit, emergency food and water,
and a non-electric can opener.

• Listen to the radio or television for weather reports.

• Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys and
garden tools; or anchor objects that cannot be brought inside but could be
tossed by high winds.

• Clean out gutters.

• Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting
in anticipation of a power outage. Open the door only when necessary and close
quickly. Frozen food in a half-full freezer will remain safe for up to 24
hours, and in a full freezer, up to 48 hours.

• Refrain from putting out trash cans the night before the
regular pickup.

During Power Outages

• Use flashlights and battery-powered lanterns for light and
battery-powered radios and computers for storm progress reports and
information.

• Avoid using candles to prevent the risk of a fire.

Flooding

• In anticipation of possible flooding, residents are
encouraged to store valuables and personal papers in a waterproof container.

• Do not attempt to drive over a flooded road – you can be
stranded or trapped. The depth of the water and the condition of the road is
not always obvious.

Night Time Safety

• Use extra caution at night when it is harder to recognize
flood dangers, downed wires and other hazards.

High Winds

• To report downed trees on public property, Montgomery
County residents should call 311 (or 240-777-0311 from outside the county or
from a cell phone), or file a report. If
live wires are involved, the tree is blocking a roadway, the tree is on a
structure or if anyone is trapped under a fallen tree, call 911.

• Trees that have fallen on private property are the
responsibility of the property owner. The County’s Office of Consumer
Protection advises homeowners to deal with established businesses only, and to
call Consumer Protection first to check on a business complaint record.
Consumer Protection can be reached at 240-777-3636.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Today we unanimously passed the FY14 budget. Overall, this is a good budget that maintains fiscal responsibility while beginning to restore some of the cuts we had to make over the past four years of the economic downturn. Particularly gratifying is the increase in funding for some very important human services.

This budget includes some long overdue pay increases for our employees who have been sacrificing for several years now. It is only because of their sacrifices that we are in a position today to try to get them back on track, and it is important to put the pay increases in context with everything else that has happened in the last four years.

Employees did not get any raises—no COLAs for four years and no step increases for three years. What’s worse, employee pay actually went down because of furloughs one year and increases in employee contributions to health and retirement benefits for the next two years.

Our employees really have been great throughout the recession, and I’m glad that we finally are able to provide some measure of increased compensation this year. It certainly is overdue and well deserved.

I’m also very pleased that we made economic development and job creation high priorities in this budget. We fully funded the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, which is providing us an invaluable business perspective on growing our local economy. We also added new positions in the Department of Economic Development so that the department can pursue new and innovative job development programs. While it is true we are still operating under constrained circumstances, I think these are responsible decisions to invest in our long-term growth. Only through job creation will our residents and our county as a whole be able to achieve the future we envision.

Also with an eye to helping families and businesses thrive, we decreased the proposed energy tax. While I wish we could eliminate the energy tax increase from FY11 entirely, I’m glad we at least were able to reduce it by 10 percent. Times remain tough for many of our residents and businesses, so any relief we can provide will help.

Last but not least, this budget restores funding for stump removal, which I know will make many residents happy. This program has been on hold for years, and we finally will be able to start addressing the backlog of stumps in county rights-of-way.

I want to thank our Council President, Nancy Navarro, for her leadership throughout the budget process. There were a lot of moving parts this year, and she did a great job managing it all.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Did you know that the County's diverse agricultural industry's
561 farms and 350 horticultural enterprises produce more than $243 million in
economic contribution from agricultural products and operations? The majority
of Montgomery County farms are family-run operations, many reaching back
several generations, which employ more than 10,000 residents. Of the County's
561 farms, 43 percent are farmed as a primary occupation.

Check out one of the many Montgomery County farmers markets for fresh fruits, vegetables, bedding plants, cut flowers, preserves, herbs, baked goods and more. Each week, farmers markets provide different varieties of products as they come into season.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Today we reached a tentative unanimous agreement on the FY14 budget. Overall, this is a good budget that maintains fiscal responsibility
while beginning to restore some of the cuts we had to make over the past four
years of the economic downturn. Particularly gratifying is the increase in
funding for some very important human services. We will cast our final, formal votes next Thursday.

This budget includes some long overdue pay increases for our
employees who have been sacrificing for several years now. It is only because
of their sacrifices that we are in a position today to try to get them back on
track, and it is important to put the pay increases in context with everything
else that has happened in the last four years.

Employees did not get any raises—no COLAs for four years and
no step increases for three years. What’s worse, employee pay actually went
down because of furloughs one year and increases in employee contributions to health
and retirement benefits for the next two years.

Our employees really have been great throughout the
recession, and I’m glad that we finally are able to provide some measure of
increased compensation this year. It certainly is overdue and well deserved.

I’m also very pleased that we made economic development and
job creation high priorities in this budget. We fully funded the Montgomery
Business Development Corporation, which is providing us an invaluable business
perspective on growing our local economy. We also added new positions in
the Department of Economic Development so that the department can pursue new
and innovative job development programs. While it is true we are still
operating under constrained circumstances, I think these are responsible
decisions to invest in our long-term growth. Only through job creation will our
residents and our county as a whole be able to achieve the future we envision.

Also with an eye to helping families and businesses thrive,
we decreased the proposed energy tax. While I wish we could eliminate the
energy tax increase from FY11 entirely, I’m glad we at least were able to
reduce it by 10 percent. Times remain tough for many of our residents and
businesses, so any relief we can provide will help.

Last but not least, this budget restores funding for stump
removal, which I know will make many residents happy. This program has been on
hold for years, and we finally will be able to start addressing the backlog of
stumps in county rights-of-way.

I want to thank our Council President, Nancy Navarro, for her leadership throughout the budget process. There were a lot of moving parts this year, and she did a great job managing it all.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Apply by May 17 for one of five spots on the Commission for
Women. Three vacancies are for applicants that must be nominated and
recommended by an organization within the County whose interests relate to the
status of women, and this endorsement should be included with the application.
Two of the vacancies are for individuals applying on their own behalf. Three
incumbents are eligible to apply for reappointment.The primary responsibility
of the 15-member Commission is to advise and counsel the County government on
issues of concern to women.

Send your cover letter and resume, along with an endorsement
from a women’s organization if applicable, to County Executive Isiah Leggett, 101
Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD 20850, or by email to countyexecutive.boards@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

June 11 is your chance to weigh in on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite. After 35 years, the code definitely needs some updating as it has become overly technical, contradictory in some places and difficult to understand. We aim to make the revised version more transparent, clear and consistent. To sign up for the public hearing on June 11 call 240-777-7803.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Two of the highest priorities for the Montgomery County
Council are affordable housing and economic development. At least that’s what
we say. What we do is a different matter altogether.

Today the Montgomery County Council tabled Bill 39-11 which
would have fostered the creation of affordable housing through impact tax
incentives. The excuse? It hasn’t been fully vetted.

I introduced Bill 39-11 a year and a half ago with three
cosponsors. After a public hearing, significant research and two comprehensive
work sessions, the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee endorsed
the bill. That can hardly be called a rush to judgment.

We need more affordable housing not just for downsizing
seniors, single heads of household and young starter families to have a decent
place to live, but also to support a workforce for a robust economy. The future
of our economic development hinges on our ability to retain and attract
moderate wage earners and the younger, skilled labor force.

In November 2011, Dr. Stephen Fuller, Director of the Center
for Regional Analysis at the George Mason University School of Public Policy
told us the top three challenges facing Montgomery County were:

Having
a sufficient supply and quality of labor to support future job growth;

Having
sufficient housing resources—in number, variety of types, and range of
costs—both for renters and owners to house an increasing share of the
county’s workforce thereby reducing the economy’s dependence on commuters
to fill the county’s jobs; and

Being
competitive with other area jurisdictions in terms of location and
operating costs and business friendly reputation.

It is time for the Council to start practicing what we preach. Affordable housing is part of the foundation of our future, and we need to use every tool at our disposal to achieve it.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

According to our Department of Economic Development, employment
in Montgomery County between 2010 and 2012 grew by nearly 25,000 jobs - from
631,154 jobs in 2010 to 655,824 jobs in 2012. That represents a 3.9 percent job
growth rate. During the same period, job growth in Fairfax City and County was
3.6 percent and the District of Columbia was 2.8 percent. The Department used
data provided by Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.

The County’s top job-gaining sector was professional,
scientific and technical services, which added almost 5,300 jobs from 2010 to
2012. The other top growing sectors were government, retail trade, and health
care and social assistance, each adding over 3,000 jobs during the three year
period.

Contributing to the County’s increase in jobs were several
Top 50 employers. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, with four
offices in Rockville, added nearly 330 jobs, the most of the Top 50 employers.
Just behind them was Capital One, adding almost 300 jobs, followed by the Henry
M. Jackson Foundation and MedImmune, which each added more than 200 jobs.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

The Green Business Certification Program has expanded to include the Green Landscape Business Certification Program, and I was glad to help congratulate the first seven certified businesses yesterday in Garrett Park.

The new program expands eligibility for the Green Business Certification Program beyond businesses with office-based operations to the landscaping sector. It emphasizes actions landscape companies can take for their clients to enhance County environmental goals, including reducing or eliminating pesticides and fertilizers; planting native canopy trees; installing rain gardens to capture and filter stormwater; creating conservation landscapes; reducing mowing areas to cut emissions; and conserving water.

Landscape businesses, such as garden centers, or those offering design, installation or maintenance services are eligible for the program. To be certified, a landscape business must meet requirements from a checklist of over 130 actions. Learn more.

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Thanks for visiting my blog. Nancy At Large is designed to be a place where we can have a conversation about current issues in Montgomery County. I encourage you to be open and honest. Sure, it is ok to disagree. Just please be polite, and I'll be happy to publish your comments.

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About Me

I was elected as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council in 2002 and am now in my fourth term. I serve as chair of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee and am a member of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee.